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Concerned about the side effects of anastrozole
I completed all treatments for breast cancer but now I am supposed to take hormone blocker, named anastrozole. im concerned about the side effects. Has anyone here taken it and did anyone have hair loss?
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I have been taking Anastrozole for 10 months. My biggest concern is progression of my osteopenia to osteoporosis and elevation of my cholesterol levels. Like others have mentioned my aches have been kept in check by lots of walking and strength training. I even took off the extra 20 lbs that I was carrying when diagnosed. If the cholesterol keeps creeping up despite diet and exercise then I need to consider if a risk for cardiac event or stroke outweighs the risk for BC recurrence.
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2 ReactionsI’ve been on anastrozole since 7/16/22, my hair is so thin on top. I’m going to my dermatologist in March 23 and will inquire about the low dose oral minoxidil
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1 ReactionI’m felling this, on different AI, for about a year. I’m 59, feel 80 and I was and still am an avid gym rat. I too have a trigger finger past few weeks. My feet hurt terribly and I’ve had 2 fractures. I want to quit, thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on weight loss, it’s a struggle to balance benefits with side effects.
I’m in the same situation, 10 months in, lost 15 since diagnosis last January, minimal side effects but concerns for the unseen. I’m focused on mitigation; reduced cholesterol foods, increased weight bearing exercises, upcoming appointment with an endocrinologist and repeating a DEXA at one year ( vs. two) to monitor any possible trends. In the meantime, when I take that pill, I envision the reduction of any estrogen that could potentially harm me.
This is definitely an ongoing journey.
Blessings on the path 🌸
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2 Reactions@anjalima I had bone loss the first year that eased for years 2-5 (not entirely). So if you do a DEXA after one year consider that the same rate of loss may not occur for the following 4 years. Your doc should know!
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3 ReactionsI have been on anastroloze for 2 months now and have noticed increasing pain in one knee as my other knee is a replacement and it always hurts a lot. I had dexa scan showing worsening osteopenia before starting anti estrogen pills so am taking Fosamax which unfortunately also causes joint pain. Will take for 2 years. My tumor was small, 3 mm, clean lymph nodes so I chose to not do radiation as it has significant side effects which could be long term. So am depending on this little pill to help keep a recurrence from happening.
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3 ReactionsHere’s my 2 cents. I took letrozole (same drug as anastrozole just different manufacturer) for five years after double mastectomy and 8 rounds of chemo. I stopped after my five years in 2018. Yes, I had bad side effects, achy joints, bone loss, always tired and also hair thinning. I had enough after 5 years. In 2022 I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the portahypatic area (lymph nodes near the liver but not in it). A laparoscopic surgery to remove 2 lymph nodes and pet scan confirmed that my breast cancer had returned. I am one of the lucky ones. It is not in my bones, brain, lungs or liver as of right now but I will live with metastisis for the rest of my life. I get pet scans every three months and am now back on letrozole which is helping keep the lymph node cancers in check, meaning they are not currently growing.
I wish to God I had kept taking letrozole after five years, which I had been advised to do but I stopped because I was tired of that little pill.
Today, I gladly swallow it every morning without fail and I bless it for doing its job in my body. To date I do not have to take any other drug but I know many others who do.
I pray none of you become metastatic. It is an uncertain, sometimes scary place to be. I am active, walk 35 minutes every day, eat a plant based diet and have excellent weight.
I now love that little pill that I cursed for five years. Perspective is everything.
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10 Reactions@meme5 so sorry to hear about your cancer recurrence. I also took letrozole for 5 years. I had the Breast Cancer Index test at that point that told me there was no benefit to extending it. I originally wanted at least 7 years because I read that was as good as 10.
If you really regret stopping at 5, you could still have the Breast Cancer Index done with your original slides. I am sure you have better things to do right now though.
ps letrozole is not the same drug as anastrazole.....there are different manufacturers for both but they are different medications
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1 ReactionI did have the BCI test done and it showed that I had a higher than average chance of reoccurrence. Because I took the letrozole for five years I was so tired of taking it I decided not to continue.
Please explain the difference between letrozole and anastrozole for me as I thought they were both estrogen blockers. I did not mean they were both the same drug but they are both estrogen blockers
P.S. During my five years I tried all three estrogen blockers.. letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane. I took letrozole the longest but all three drugs gave me the same side effects.
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